Live from the World Chess Hall of Fame, the 8th Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz is the third of five legs of the Grand Chess Tour. Five of the Tour players are joined by five wildcards (roster below) for a rapid round robin and a blitz double round robin. Today is the first blitz round robin. Join GMs Yasser Seirawan, Peter Svidler, & Cristian Chirila, and IM Nazi Paikidze for the move-by-move.

2024.08.15
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BLITZ ROUND 1 | 5 Min. Incr. 2 Sec.
Hikaru Nakamura (9) vs. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (11)
Ian Nepomniachtchi (11) vs. Wesley So (9)
Alireza Firouzja (11) vs. Leinier Dominguez (9)
Fabiano Caruana (8) vs. Levon Aronian (10)
Nodirbek Abdusattorov (8) vs. R Praggnanandhaa (4)

BLITZ ROUND 2 | 5 Min. Incr. 2 Sec.
Wesley So vs. Fabiano Caruana
Hikaru Nakamura vs. Nodirbek Abdusattorov
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave vs. Leinier Dominguez
Levon Aronian vs. Alireza Firouzja
R Praggnanandhaa vs. Ian Nepomniachtchi

BLITZ ROUND 3 | 5 Min. Incr. 2 Sec.
Fabiano Caruana vs. R Praggnanandhaa
Nodirbek Abdusattorov vs. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
Leinier Dominguez vs. Levon Aronian
Alireza Firouzja vs. Wesley So
Ian Nepomniachtchi vs. Hikaru Nakamura

BLITZ ROUND 4 | 5 Min. Incr. 2 Sec.
Wesley So vs. Leinier Dominguez
Hikaru Nakamura vs. Fabiano Caruana
Nodirbek Abdusattorov vs. Ian Nepomniachtchi
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave vs. Levon Aronian
R Praggnanandhaa vs. Alireza Firouzja

BLITZ ROUND 5 | 5 Min. Incr. 2 Sec.
Fabiano Caruana vs. Nodirbek Abdusattorov
Leinier Dominguez vs. R Praggnanandhaa
Levon Aronian vs. Wesley So
Alireza Firouzja vs. Hikaru Nakamura
Ian Nepomniachtchi vs. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave

BLITZ ROUND 6 | 5 Min. Incr. 2 Sec.
Hikaru Nakamura vs. Leinier Dominguez
Nodirbek Abdusattorov vs. Alireza Firouzja
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave vs. Wesley So
R Praggnanandhaa vs. Levon Aronian
Ian Nepomniachtchi vs. Fabiano Caruana

BLITZ ROUND 7 | 5 Min. Incr. 2 Sec.
Wesley So vs. R Praggnanandhaa
Fabiano Caruana vs. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
Leinier Dominguez vs. Nodirbek Abdusattorov
Levon Aronian vs. Hikaru Nakamura
Alireza Firouzja vs. Ian Nepomniachtchi

BLITZ ROUND 8 | 5 Min. Incr. 2 Sec.
Fabiano Caruana vs. Alireza Firouzja
Hikaru Nakamura vs. Wesley So
Nodirbek Abdusattorov vs. Levon Aronian
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave vs. R Praggnanandhaa
Ian Nepomniachtchi vs. Leinier Dominguez

BLITZ ROUND 9 | 5 Min. Incr. 2 Sec.
Wesley So vs. Nodirbek Abdusattorov
Leinier Dominguez vs. Fabiano Caruana
Levon Aronian vs. Ian Nepomniachtchi
Alireza Firouzja vs. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
R Praggnanandhaa vs. Hikaru Nakamura

Live from the World Chess Hall of Fame, the 8th Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz is the third of five legs of the Grand Chess Tour. Five of the Tour players are joined by five wildcards (roster below) for a rapid round robin and a blitz double round robin. Today is the final blitz round robin, plus playoffs if necessary. Join GMs Yasser Seirawan, Peter Svidler, & Cristian Chirila, and IM Nazi Paikidze for the move-by-move.

This full program was uploaded due to encoder failure while live.

2024.08.16
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BLITZ ROUND 10 | 5 Min. Incr. 2 Sec.
Wesley So (16) vs. Ian Nepomniachtchi (16)
Leinier Dominguez (12) vs. Alireza Firouzja (17.5)
Levon Aronian (15) vs. Fabiano Caruana (13)
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (15.5) vs. Hikaru Nakamura (13.5)
R Praggnanandhaa (6.5) vs. Nodirbek Abdusattorov (10)

BLITZ ROUND 11 | 5 Min. Incr. 2 Sec.
Fabiano Caruana vs. Wesley So
Nodirbek Abdusattorov vs. Hikaru Nakamura
Leinier Dominguez vs. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
Alireza Firouzja vs. Levon Aronian
Ian Nepomniachtchi vs. R Praggnanandhaa

BLITZ ROUND 12 | 5 Min. Incr. 2 Sec.
R Praggnanandhaa vs. Fabiano Caruana
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave vs. Nodirbek Abdusattorov
Levon Aronian vs. Leinier Dominguez
Wesley So vs. Alireza Firouzja
Hikaru Nakamura vs. Ian Nepomniachtchi

BLITZ ROUND 13 | 5 Min. Incr. 2 Sec.
Leinier Dominguez vs. Wesley So
Fabiano Caruana vs. Hikaru Nakamura
Ian Nepomniachtchi vs. Nodirbek Abdusattorov
Levon Aronian vs. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
Alireza Firouzja vs. R Praggnanandhaa

BLITZ ROUND 14 | 5 Min. Incr. 2 Sec.
Nodirbek Abdusattorov vs. Fabiano Caruana
R Praggnanandhaa vs. Leinier Dominguez
Wesley So vs. Levon Aronian
Hikaru Nakamura vs. Alireza Firouzja
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave vs. Ian Nepomniachtchi

BLITZ ROUND 15 | 5 Min. Incr. 2 Sec.
Leinier Dominguez vs. Hikaru Nakamura
Alireza Firouzja vs. Nodirbek Abdusattorov
Wesley So vs. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
Levon Aronian vs. R Praggnanandhaa
Fabiano Caruana vs. Ian Nepomniachtchi

BLITZ ROUND 16 | 5 Min. Incr. 2 Sec.
R Praggnanandhaa vs. Wesley So
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave vs. Fabiano Caruana
Nodirbek Abdusattorov vs. Leinier Dominguez
Hikaru Nakamura vs. Levon Aronian
Ian Nepomniachtchi vs. Alireza Firouzja

BLITZ ROUND 17 | 5 Min. Incr. 2 Sec.
Alireza Firouzja vs. Fabiano Caruana
Wesley So vs. Hikaru Nakamura
Levon Aronian vs. Nodirbek Abdusattorov
R Praggnanandhaa vs. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
Leinier Dominguez vs. Ian Nepomniachtchi

BLITZ ROUND 18 | 5 Min. Incr. 2 Sec.
Nodirbek Abdusattorov vs. Wesley So
Fabiano Caruana vs. Leinier Dominguez
Ian Nepomniachtchi vs. Levon Aronian
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave vs. Alireza Firouzja
Hikaru Nakamura vs. R Praggnanandhaa

PLAYOFFS IF NECESSARY
2 TIED = Two-Game Match | 8 Min. Incr. 3 Sec.
OR
3+ TIED = Round Robin | 5 Min. Incr. 2 Sec.
If either scenario fails to produce a winner, the remaining tied players will have an armageddon knockout (White shall have 5 minutes and Black shall have 4 minutes, with a 2 second increment from move 61.)

Live from the World Chess Hall of Fame, the 8th Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz is the third of five legs of the Grand Chess Tour. Five of the Tour players are joined by five wildcards (roster below) for a rapid round robin and a blitz double round robin. Today are the final three rounds of the rapid round robin. Join GMs Yasser Seirawan, Peter Svidler, & Cristian Chirila, and IM Nazi Paikidze for the move-by-move.

2024.08.14
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RAPID ROUND 7 (Games Worth 2 Points) | 25 Min. Incr. 10 Sec.
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
(8) vs.
Ian Nepomniachtchi
(8)
Fabiano Caruana
(5) vs. Alireza Firouzja
(8)
Nodirbek Abdusattorov
(5) vs.
Levon Aronian
(7)
Hikaru Nakamura
(5) vs. Wesley So
(5)

Leinier Dominguez
(6) vs. R Praggnanandhaa
(3)

RAPID ROUND 8 (Games Worth 2 Points) | 25 Min. Incr. 10 Sec.
Ian Nepomniachtchi
vs.
Nodirbek Abdusattorov
Wesley So vs. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
Levon Aronian
vs. Fabiano Caruana
R Praggnanandhaa
vs. Alireza Firouzja
Leinier Dominguez vs. Hikaru Nakamura

RAPID ROUND 9 (Games Worth 2 Points) | 25 Min. Incr. 10 Sec.
Alireza Firouzja
vs.
Levon Aronian
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave vs. Leinier Dominguez

Fabiano Caruana vs. Ian Nepomniachtchi
Nodirbek Abdusattorov
vs. Wesley So
Hikaru Nakamura
vs. R Praggnanandhaa

Live from the World Chess Hall of Fame, the 8th Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz is the third of five legs of the Grand Chess Tour. Five of the Tour players are joined by five wildcards (roster below) for a rapid round robin and a blitz double round robin. Today are the middle three rounds of the rapid round robin. Join GMs Yasser Seirawan, Peter Svidler, & Cristian Chirila, and IM Nazi Paikidze for the move-by-move.

2024.08.13
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RAPID ROUND 4 (Games Worth 2 Points) | 25 Min. Incr. 10 Sec.
Levon Aronian
(4) vs. Leinier Dominguez (4)
Alireza Firouzja
(3) vs.
Hikaru Nakamura (3)
Fabiano Caruana
(1) vs. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (5)
Ian Nepomniachtchi
(4) vs. Wesley So (2)
R Praggnanandhaa
(1) vs. Nodirbek Abdusattorov (3)

RAPID ROUND 5 (Games Worth 2 Points) | 25 Min. Incr. 10 Sec.
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave vs. Alireza Firouzja
Leinier Dominguez
vs. Ian Nepomniachtchi
Hikaru Nakamura vs. Levon Aronian
Nodirbek Abdusattorov
vs. Fabiano Caruana
Wesley So vs. R Praggnanandhaa

RAPID ROUND 6 (Games Worth 2 Points) | 25 Min. Incr. 10 Sec.
Levon Aronian
vs. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
Ian Nepomniachtchi
vs. Hikaru Nakamura
Alireza Firouzja vs. Nodirbek Abdusattorov
Wesley So
vs.
Leinier Dominguez
R Praggnanandhaa vs.
Fabiano Caruana

Live from the World Chess Hall of Fame, the 8th Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz is the third of five legs of the Grand Chess Tour. Five of the Tour players are joined by five wildcards (roster below) for a rapid round robin and a blitz double round robin. Today are the first three rounds of the rapid round robin. Join GMs Yasser Seirawan, Peter Svidler, & Cristian Chirila, and IM Nazi Paikidze for the move-by-move.

2024.08.12
https://GrandChessTour.org
https://twitter.com/grandchesstour
https://twitch.tv/stlchessclub
https://www.instagram.com/grandchesstourofficial
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RAPID ROUND 1 (Games Worth 2 Points) | 25 Min. Incr. 10 Sec.
Wesley So
vs.
Fabiano Caruana
Hikaru Nakamura
vs. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
Ian Nepomniachtchi

vs. Alireza Firouzja
Levon Aronian

vs. R Praggnanandhaa
Leinier Dominguez

vs. Nodirbek Abdusattorov

RAPID ROUND 2 (Games Worth 2 Points) | 25 Min. Incr. 10 Sec.
Nodirbek Abdusattorov
vs. Hikaru Nakamura
Alireza Firouzja vs. Wesley So
Levon Aronian

vs. Ian Nepomniachtchi

Fabiano Caruana
vs.
Leinier Dominguez
R Praggnanandhaa
vs. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave

RAPID ROUND 3 (Games Worth 2 Points) | 25 Min. Incr. 10 Sec.
Hikaru Nakamura vs.
Fabiano Caruana
Ian Nepomniachtchi

vs. R Praggnanandhaa
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave vs. Nodirbek Abdusattorov
Wesley So
vs.
Levon Aronian
Leinier Dominguez

vs. Alireza Firouzja

U.S. Grandmaster Wins Second Leg of the Grand Chess Tour; Takes Home $68,750 Prize

BUCHAREST, ROMANIA AND SAINT LOUIS, MO. (July 7, 2024) – Grandmaster (GM) Fabiano Caruana from the United States sealed the win as the 2024 Superbet Chess Classic Romania champion during the second of five legs of the Grand Chess Tour (GCT), claiming the title for the second year in a row.

Caruana secured the victory after a dramatic final day of the tournament in Bucharest where he first lost his classical game to GM Anish Giri, but then won all three games in the playoff round to finish the tournament on top after the tiebreaks.

“Maybe we were making it a bit boring, but on the final day at least we added some excitement,” said Caruana. “I played terribly. Anish punished me. I played a poor game but he played well and then I wasn’t even thinking about winning the tournament anymore. I feel good at the moment but, overall it was a pretty bad day.”

After having a chance to convert a position to give him the outright win, GM Alireza Firouzja as well as GMs Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa and Gukesh Dommaraju all finished in a tie, each winning $58,750.

“It seems like a good tradition in Bucharest to have long tiebreaks. It was a long and nerve-wracking grand finale but we congratulate Fabiano Caruana from the United States for clinching the win in the first classical event and thank you Superbet Foundation for sponsoring the event,” said Michael Khodarkovsky, GCT Executive Director.

Superbet Chess Classic Romania Results

“Congratulations to Fabiano Caruana for another outstanding victory at the Grand Chess Tour-Superbet Chess Classic in Romania. This tournament showcased ten days of thrilling games, highlighting the incredible talent of all participants,” said Augusta Dragic, President of the Superbet Foundation. “At the Superbet Foundation, we are committed to bringing top chess talents to Romania, Poland, and Croatia. Our goal is to inspire the next generation of chess players by providing them the opportunity to learn from the best. We believe in the power of chess to educate, challenge, and inspire. Next week, we continue our journey in Croatia, promising another exciting chapter in promoting and celebrating chess.”

Up next, GCT heads to Zagreb for SuperUnited Croatia Rapid & Blitz. Due to an urgent family matter, GM Magnus Carlsen has regretfully withdrawn from the upcoming event and will be replaced by American GM Levon Aronian as a wildcard at this tournament. Round 1 starts on July 10 with live commentary from GMs Yasser Seirawan and Evgenij Miroshnichenko, as well as IM Jovanka Houska, starting at 7:20 AM CDT on the Saint Louis Chess Club’s Twitch & YouTube channels.

Following Croatia, the GCT heads back to the United States for the final two events: Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz (August 11-16, 2024) and Sinquefield Cup (August 18-29, 2024), both hosted by the Saint Louis Chess Club.

Tour participants are competing for an overall tour prize fund of $1.5 million over the course of the 2024 season. Total cash prizes for each of the two classical tournaments are $350,000 and $175,000 per event for rapid and blitz. In addition, a bonus prize fund totaling $275,000 will be awarded at the end of the 2024 season.

The prize fund is provided by the 2024 GCT major sponsors Superbet Foundation and the Saint Louis Chess Club, both non-profit organizations that support chess education and the mission to expand the game of chess globally. For more information, visit grandchesstour.org.

Saint Louis Chess Club Launches New Women’s Initiative to Develop More American Female Grandmaster Chess Players

SAINT LOUIS, June 26, 2024 – Tournament favorite Grandmaster (GM) Tan Zhongyi was crowned the winner of the 2024 Cairns Cup on Saturday, June 22, taking home a prize of $50,000. Created and hosted by the Saint Louis Chess Club, the Cairns Cup is one of the world’s premier women’s tournaments.

“Even though it looked smooth for me – the actual process was harder than it looked, but I knew I had a higher chance of winning. From here, I would like to continue playing and improving. I know it will take a lot of time and work but that’s the direction I’m going in”, said Zhongyi.

GM Anna Muzychuk finished on a high note by defeating IM Alice Lee and claimed $40,000 followed by a four-way tie for third among GMs Alexandra Kosteniuk, Harika Dronavalli, Nana Dzagnidze and Mariya Muzychuk. Each will receive a $19,000 payout for third-sixth places.

Established in 2019, the Cairns Cup was created by the Saint Louis Chess Club to provide a competitive tournament for elite female players. Aptly named in honor of Saint Louis Chess Club co-founder Dr. Jeanne Cairns Sinquefield’s maiden name, the 2024 Cairns Cup featured a ten-player field of top women from across the world who competed for a purse of $200,000 during the round robin style tournament held at the World Chess Hall of Fame from June 13-22, 2024.

To rewatch all of the action from the 2024 Cairns Cup broadcast, visit uschesschamps.com. Next up will be the second leg of the Grand Chess Tour, the Superbet Romania Chess Classic, taking place June 25-July 5 in Bucharest, Romania. Tune in for daily live coverage starting at 7:20 AM CDT on the STLChessClub’s Twitch and YouTube channels.

Breaking Gender Barriers: New Award Created to Develop More American Female Grandmasters

During the Cairns Cup, Saint Louis Chess Club co-founder Dr. Jeanne Cairns Sinquefield announced a new women’s chess initiative, the Cairns Chess Queens Award, a new initiative created to encourage more U.S. female chess players to become GMs. Beginning July 4, 2024, the Saint Louis Chess Club will award $100,000 for up to five players over the next five years who earn the title of GM.

Approximately only two percent of the more than 2,000 chess GMs globally are female and there is only one American female chess player to ever earn the title of GM.

“Worldwide there are only 42 female GMs, while there are currently more than 2,000 male GMs. Only 16 counties have developed a female GM and the United States only has one active female GM,” said Dr. Cairns. “We can do better! We challenge the rest of the world to consider creating similar programs to develop their players so we can create the next generation of competitive female players and leaders in chess.”

Retroactively, the Saint Louis Chess Club awarded the first Cairns Chess Queens Award for exceptional achievement to GM Irina Krush from Brooklyn, who became the first and only female player to earn the rank of GM while playing for the U.S. Krush is an eight-time U.S. Women’s Champion.

“I am happy to see the creation of the Cairns Chess Queens Award”, said GM Maurice Ashley, who first proposed the idea for the initiative. “The award will serve as an important tool to continue developing and incentivizing America’s most talented female chess players to be steadfast in the pursuit of reaching the GM title.”

Top Female Chess Players to Compete in Cairns Cup in Saint Louis

Saint Louis Chess Club to host elite international players in tournament that offers one of the largest chess prize funds for women

SAINT LOUIS, June 7, 2024 – The Cairns Cup, an elite-level female chess tournament created by the Saint Louis Chess Club, returns this June and will feature ten of the world’s best female chess players. Named in honor of Saint Louis Chess Club co-founder Dr. Jeanne Cairns Sinquefield, the tournament reflects the Club’s mission to promote the game of chess among women.

As one of the premier women’s tournaments globally, the ten-player round robin tournament will be hosted at the World Chess Hall of Fame from June 12 to 23. This year’s event boasts one of the strongest female fields, competing for an increased total prize fund of $200,000.

The event kicks off on Wednesday, June 12 with the Ultimate Moves, a fun and casual exhibition event featuring 82-year-old Women’s World Chess Champion Nona Gaprindashvili from Georgia and the Cairns Cup field.

“We are proud to again organize an elite international chess tournament created to provide more opportunities for female chess players,” said Dr. Jeanne Cairns Sinquefield, Co-founder of the Saint Louis Chess Club. “We hope by providing a world-class facility and a competitive prize fund, we will help inspire more women to play chess on a competitive level.”

The 2024 Cairns Cup field will feature:

“The Saint Louis Chess Club continues to innovate in promoting the game of chess,” said Tony Rich, Technical Director of the Saint Louis Chess Club. “Events like the Cairns Cup are crucial for the development of American women in chess. They provide a platform for our talented players to compete against the world’s best, gaining invaluable experience and inspiration.”

Each round of the Cairns Cup will be streamed live daily from June 13 to 23 at 1 p.m. CT with the expert commentary team of Grandmaster Yasser Seirawan and International Masters Jovanka Houska and Nazi Paikidze.

In addition, Gaprindashvili will be an honored guest at the opening ceremony as part of her world chess tour. She will also host an all-girls simul event at the World Chess Hall of Fame (WCHOF), where she will simultaneously play multiple games at a time, encouraging young girls along the way. Gaprindashvili will also appear at “Ladies Knight” on Thursday, June 13 at the World Chess Hall of Fame from 6:30-8:00 p.m.

Gaprindashvili, a living chess legend, was the women’s world chess champion from 1962 to 1978, and in 1978, she became the first woman ever to be awarded the International Chess Federation (FIDE) title of grandmaster. Gaprindashvili is also an inductee to the World Chess Hall of Fame.

The Cairns Cup will be hosted at the WCHOF, the leading chess cultural center in the country, where the all-new exhibition “Clash for the Crown: Celebrating Chess Champions,” is currently on display.

The exhibition is being held in conjunction with the 100th-anniversary celebration of the FIDE and explores the histories of the World Chess Championship and Women’s World Chess Championship through a display of artifacts from the collection of the WCHOF, FIDE and loans and donations from world chess champions and women’s world chess champions including World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen, Viswanathan Anand, Alexandra Kosteniuk and Susan Polgar, as well as private lenders.

For more information and to watch the livestream, visit uschesschamps.com.

About the Saint Louis Chess Club

The Saint Louis Chess Club is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization that is committed to making chess an important part of our community. In addition to providing a forum for the community to play tournaments and casual games, the club also offers chess improvement classes, beginner lessons and special lectures.

Recognizing the cognitive and behavioral benefits of chess, the Saint Louis Chess Club is committed to supporting those chess programs that already exist in area schools while encouraging the development of new in-school and after-school programs. For more information, visit www.saintlouischessclub.org.